IrishApps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Barna Recycling is a major waste and recycling provider in Ireland. I am the director of IT.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IrishApps?

Our main focus was to find a better way to increase customer communication, using a mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app was broken into two parts. We handled the backend ourselves, while the primary role of IrishApps was to design the Android and iOS versions. They designed the UI [user interface], the different functionalities and feature sets, and also helped with testing and tweaking, in order to suit our needs and match our customer base. Many of our users aren’t technically apt, so we needed to keep the app as simple as possible.

From my understanding, there were three resources assigned to our project.

How did you come to work with IrishApps?

Around 12 months ago, I was looking to design a small in-house service application that would help us work with internal employees. I went to three different companies, asking for a quotation. I began talking with IrishApps, who were able to meet all the criteria I set out in terms of pricing, scope, and timelines.

IrishApps has a 20-year background in backend development and application design, which is one of the main reasons we chose IrishApps. They came across as very tech-savvy and delivered correct solutions for whatever requirements we had.

How much have you invested with IrishApps?

The cost of IrishApps’ work has been around $25,000 for both apps.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with IrishApps in March 2016. Our first project was completed in one month, and the current one was started in November 2016. It was only finalized in 2017 because we had to make some internal changes, and put the app on hold.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The first app was only for internal use. The second one will be deployed to our customer base during the next two weeks, so we won’t see its impact for another month. From our test group, we’ve heard some very favorable feedback; they found it very easy to use and had no problems regarding compatibility with different devices.

One of its key components is sending telemetrics back to our servers, allowing us to see how customers are interacting with the app. We will know more about customer interaction in two months’ time.

How did IrishApps perform from a project management standpoint?

IrishApps was excellent in this regard. If there was any problem and something needed to be changed, their turnaround was 24–48 hours. IrishApps had good responses and provided dedicated resources to us. We had their full attention, so they were able to immediately address any problem which turned up.

What did you find most impressive about IrishApps?

The thing that stood out the most was IrishApps’ dedication. They sat down with us at the start of the project and, once we agreed on what we wanted the app to do, they stuck to it. IrishApps was forthcoming and never tried to hide an issue. They have an honest approach when dealing with customers, which was quite surprising. I’ve dealt with other companies, and this was one issue I’ve always had.

Are there any areas IrishApps could improve?

Based on the scope of my projects, I’ve been happy. IrishApps is a niche company which focuses on key aspects of mobile development, which is one reason for picking them, but this could also work to their disadvantage. If a client wants a wider project, IrishApps won’t adapt as quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and the founder of a company that develops monitoring equipment for exercises. We monitor muscle strength and balance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IrishApps?

We needed a company to develop an Android and iOS app for us. We needed a company who understood what we wanted, and that’s what we achieved with IrishApps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did both the app design and development. We went to them with an idea, and they created the full app for us. I instructed them as to what I wanted as an end result, but I let them determine how to use their expertise to achieve that goal. I worked closely with three people at IrishApps.

My equipment measures muscle force. We’ve got this load-sensing technology that is wirelessly transferred onto a user’s iOS or Android device. We track the strength and the difference between muscles. There are two signals coming from the devices. They track the time and share functions. Every 200 milliseconds, there is raw data sent from our equipment, and that has to be reproduced to do some scientific testing. Every requirement we had was achieved by IrishApps.

How did you come to work with IrishApps?

I found them using a simple Google search. I did shop around and went to a couple other companies first. I had a phone call with the managing director or CEO of IrishApps, and he got what we were looking for. He understood our product faster than anyone else, and he came with suggestions that were very beneficial to us as well. That’s ultimately why I went with IrishApps.

How much have you invested with IrishApps?

I’ve spent approximately €25,000-30,000 [$27,343-32,812] on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was over 2 ½ years ago. Our relationship is ongoing. We’re constantly developing the equipment and updating the app to meet our customers’ requirements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We try to make our system very user-friendly so that customers comply and continue using the equipment. The feedback we get from customers is positive, and the app is very well-received. I’m sure the app is rated in the Play Store, but that doesn’t concern me too much. My direct customer concerns me more.

How did IrishApps perform from a project management standpoint?

From the initial concept, all the way through to producing the goods at the end, I would say they offer an excellent project management service. I’m very happy with what they’ve achieved for us, and they did everything in a timely and cost-effective manner. It’s been good overall management.

What did you find most impressive about IrishApps?

The one thing that stood out for me was the fact that they really understood our product and our customers’ needs. They got what we were looking for. We achieved far more with them than would have been possible with anyone else.

Are there any areas IrishApps could improve?

We did a statement of work, and we covered a lot of angles. For someone like myself, with zero knowledge on app development, maybe a more detailed statement of work would be helpful. Overall, there hasn’t been anything negative that stands out. It’s all been very positive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup called Snapfix Limited. It’s a very simple, B2B application that helps you manage tasks with anyone else. It’s primarily photo and chat-based.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IrishApps?

I needed someone to actually build the application on both Android and iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing we did was to create a very detailed specification, which was in excess of 100 pages. It detailed each of the screens, pop-ups, and functions. In the next stage, we created a working prototype, but it was only a screen prototype, which was good enough for me to show to about 20 companies. I was able to refine the design based on those 20 conversations. The third stage was to then develop it for Android and iOS. We’re using Amazon Web Services and Google in the backend. IrishApps did the frontend design work for us as well. I worked with three people from IrishApps on this project.

In terms of technologies, IrishApps used the programming languages C and C++. For Android, they used Java and for iOS they used Swift, C#, PHP, Python, Node JS, and JavaScript. The databases they used were My SQL, Mongo Db, Couch Db, and Firebase.

How did you come to work with IrishApps?

I was referred to them initially, and I arranged to meet with Cathal, who’s the managing director. At our first meeting, I was impressed with his understanding of my requirements. He also impressed me with his focus on testing. He has a very strong focus on testing the application after it’s developed.

How much have you invested with IrishApps?

I’ve invested $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in the first quarter of 2016, and the relationship is ongoing. Our roadmap shows another 18 months of work with IrishApps. We’ve really only started, and this engagement will go on for many years to come.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’ve got the minimum viable product out now, and I’m working on a series of requirements for the next phases. The only results I’ve had to date would be putting the application in front of nearly 20 companies. They’ve been very impressed with how simple and intuitive it is. The design took a number of iterations to get to that point of simplicity. I haven’t released the app yet, but hopefully, it will be profiled on your website at some point.

How did IrishApps perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been really good all the way through. Everything—from understanding the requirements and specification to the development and quality assurance testing—has all been very high quality. I’m a project manager myself, and they’ve been very strong.

What did you find most impressive about IrishApps?

One of their strongest points is their focus on testing. The team was continually making suggestions in relation to functionality. They also made suggestions in relation to implementing something now so that the app could scale in the future. I’ve worked very closely with them, and I’ve been happy with the progress all told.

Are there any areas IrishApps could improve?

I can’t think of anything.